Saurabh Sachdeva reveals he nearly turned down Animal, credits Sandeep Reddy Vanga's convincing pitch: 'He showed me the Triptii Dimri scene with Ranbir Kapoor...'

Time of India

a day ago

Saurabh Sachdeva almost declined his role in Animal. Sandeep Reddy Vanga convinced him to stay. Vanga showed him key scenes to ease his doubts. Sachdeva trusted Vanga's vision despite initial confusion. The film became a career highlight for Sachdeva. He looks forward to Animal Park. He was last seen in Maalik with Rajkummar Rao.
Saurabh Sachdeva may have delivered one of the most compelling performances in Animal, but not many know he nearly walked away from the project. In a candid conversation with DNA India, the actor opened up about his initial doubts, how director
Sandeep Reddy Vanga
convinced him to stay, and how the film ultimately became a game-changer in his career.
In an exclusive with DNA India, Saurabh shared that Animal marked a turning point in his career, significantly boosting his visibility. He recalled first hearing about the role at the Bambai Meri Jaan success party, when filmmaker Bejoy Nambiar mentioned that Sandeep Reddy Vanga was looking for him. Though initially intrigued, Saurabh admitted he forgot about it until a few days later when T-Series reached out for a script narration.
After attending the meeting and hearing the script, Saurabh felt uncertain about the character and the film's overall tone. He even considered turning it down, citing confusion about the world the story belonged to—whether it was grounded in gritty realism like his previous projects Sacred Games, Haddi, or Bambai Meri Jaan. Encouraged by his manager, he requested a second narration with Vanga to better understand the role before making a final decision.
To ease the actor's doubts about Animal, Sandeep Reddy Vanga took a more visual approach. After listening to Saurabh's concerns, the director brought him to the edit room and showed him select sequences from the film. The first was the intense interval gunfight scene featuring masked men, which initially left Saurabh feeling unsure. But it was the second scene—featuring Triptii Dimri and
Ranbir Kapoor
in a subtle, emotionally charged moment—that changed his mind.
The combination of raw action and emotional depth convinced Saurabh to come on board.
He further admitted that even during the shoot, he remained unsure about his character's journey in Animal. Despite the confusion, he chose to place his trust in Sandeep Reddy Vanga's vision. His very first scene was the film's climactic runway sequence—a chaotic bloodbath where he had no dialogue or clear action to anchor himself, only reactions to deliver.
Yet, he went with the flow. When the film released, it exploded in popularity, and his character received immense love.
Looking back, Saurabh credits Vanga for the breakthrough, acknowledging that Animal gave his career a fresh push, all thanks to the director's clarity and conviction.
Animal Park is undoubtedly one of the most-anticipated sequels in recent times. When asked for an update, Saurabh Sachdeva shared that while there's no fixed timeline yet, he's hopeful the project will move forward once Ranbir Kapoor wraps up Ramayana and Sandeep Reddy Vanga completes Spirit. He added that he's genuinely excited about returning for the sequel. On the work front, Saurabh was last seen in Maalik alongside Rajkummar Rao.